The Toff's Easter 2018 Pre-Trip Report/Plan

[ToffPrincess]

Despite not having been on Trip 1 yet, it is already time to get ADRs down for Trip 2! I can't believe it.. Easter 2018 loading!

FLIGHTS​

BA there and back. Much better deal this time due to the amount of time ahead of when we booked. I booked the tickets almost a month ago so that makes it 7 months pre fly day. Flexi tickets (changeable for a fee) and First Class! I am extatic about this as DS (3) is SO much easier to occupy in a bigger space. For Trip 1 we are flying out PE so I booked myself a seat behind DH & DS so I can pretend I don't know them. I originally booked with Virgin but the price to adjust flights for the specific dates we needed was over £1500 per person so I am holding on to those flights (flexi for a fee but not cancellable) and will change them to suit my October 2018 plans once half-term school holiday dates have been released for Autumn 2018. My son will have finished nursery and be in kindergarten then. As it is still not 'proper school' he will probably miss a few days attendance here or there so those dates are easier to change the Virgin Flights to. Very disappointed to the fares Virgin has given for Easter holidays 2018 it should be illegal to hike prices and change flexibility on school holidays.

HOTEL​

Grand Floridian group of 5 (4 adults 1 child) one CL main building room and one 2 bedroom main building suite. Not myself, DH or DS in the suite sadly but my Dad who is elderly (80), travels with an assistant and likes his comfort!

Found a photo of his particular suite online here. I mean really, the stuff of dreams.
So far the booking is 17 days GF CL but we plan to resort hop at day 11 when two of our party leave us. We will know where we are heading once we have had the chance to explore our resort options this October. Thanks for your input on the poll I made.
For anyone wandering on a long 17 day trip you do have to check out and check in again as 14 days in a row is the limit at resorts. They assured me they normally don't make you change rooms if you chose to stay in the one resort the process is more of a formality.

DINING PLAN​

No dining plan this time as usual. I debated it as we are foodies in this family however once I found out that DS, who at 3 years old and eats like an adult, has to eat of the kids menu which is so limited it was a deal breaker. I also heard that if you want the adult dining plan for kids you need to then upgrade their whole booking (inc.park tickets) to that of an adult's which is just.. counter productive in every way you look at it. He is a good eater who loves to try new things the idea of him having to eat 17 days of macaroni cheese or mini burgers is ridiculous to me.

CLUB LEVEL​

HUGE whoop for the concierge services team who, on day 1 of my booking slot coming up, have basically booked the first 10 days of hard to get reservations for me. I did a few myself as I still am a OCD control freak but there were a few crashing on the system to my dismay that they locked down. I'm really trying to make this trip special as my Dad hasn't been to WDW or the GF in about 22 years since I was a little girl and he used to take me. He is 80 and I'm guessing he will mostly be at the resort lobby which he loves and the CL lounge so I focused on dining for him. Haven't yet seen the room or lounge so can't comment but I do remember when I was a child CL GF was pretty amazing!
NB. I remember someone on here or on TheDIBB asking if concierge contacts you. No in this case I made the initial contact and then they followed up with phone calls and emails. 10/10 for speed, efficiency and helpfulness!
You can only make ADRs for the first 10 days of your trip so I do have to wait to finish my bookings but I doubt it will be a problem as now I know how the concierge service works.. I'll set my alarm on the day with my wish-list ready to go and get it all done in 30mins.

ADR​

With the help of the concierge team I have managed to lock down the following. Most are for DS & DF's benefit so heavy on the character meals and yummy dining! If anyone is wandering DS loves Donald Duck, Chip n' Dale, Rapunzel and Pasquale.

-1900 Park Fare breakfasts
-Ohana's
-Kona Cafe
-Be Our Guest
-Cindarella's Royal Table
-Tusker House breakfast
-California Grill dinner and brunch whoop
-The Yachtsman
-The Garden Grill
-Spirit Of Aloha
-Jungle Navigation Co
-Narcoossees in time for the lagoon parade

This trip I haven't planned short notice like with Trip 1 (coming up in just under 3 weeks time) and I really feel the difference. No problem getting the times I want. No settling for strange times, second choice restaurants or less guests than we need for the sake of DS. I also got a dining reservation for when we arrive so I don't have to deal with room service or quick service with tired DS. I am also so beyond excited to try Cinderella's Royal Table and California Grill as we didn't get any bookings that worked with our 2017 itinerary. This time I doubled/tripled up just to make sure!

SO, I have two pre-trip reports on the go right now. You can check the other one out here. Photos of what I packed coming asap. I have a wedding abroad just before we leave so I have had to get everything done in advance. I hope you enjoy!​

 

[DVC Kevin]

Sounds like it's going to be a super fun time. I will definitely be following along when you guys go!

 

[ToffPrincess]

Victoria's & Albert's booked.. which means we will most likely have to try out the babysitting services. VERY exciting!!!!

 

[ToffPrincess]

63 Days To Go​

After discussing it 100x over with DH we decide we will be staying the full amount of time at GF Club Level. Despite me being keen to resort-hop and try the Beach Club he is not so keen on experimenting and has decided he likes the GF too much to try somewhere else. I have created a Disney monster.. obviously I set the bar too high on his first stay! DS will leave me and DS alone for 5 days to go on a work trip (with a possible 2 days somewhere else) so it just makes sense not to move. I login to pay the bill for the trip so I don’t have to worry about it later. We are travelling quite bit next month due to work trips and my son’s half term so I don’t want to forget.
Immediately I notice a few errors on my Disney account. There are no park tickets assigned to the booking or anywhere on file (despite me being crystal clear I wanted Park Hopper + when making the reservation) and there is a dining plan attached which we don't want AND there is a website glitch meaning I can’t pay my bill online. I call in to tech support.. after 1 hour on the phone, the meal plan vanishes but I realise I forgot to mention the whole payment issue. DS comes home from nursery sick so I decide to call back a few days later.

61 Days To Go- Willamina saves the day with Sun & Fun​

I call in to finalise my payment. I get a lovely lady called Willamina on the phone who is approaching 20 years at Disney. She obviously knows her stuff as not only is her first name her disney email she refuses to process my payment without getting me a better deal. With my permission she changes my 19 day tickets (which was not what I wanted anyway as we only need 17 days of tickets) to platinum annual passes saving some money there and then she applied the 'Sun & Fun' room offer to my booking which she said would reduce the cost of my room by 20%. It required a bit of waiting as we are going over Easter time when prices are super high and some of our booking falls within another price-range. Essentially 6 days of my booking cost double the other 12 but after her speaking to some sort of magical fairy they applied the discount to all dates! However my my calculations I think my saving was closer to 30%. She did offer to remove club level to make a further 10% saving but as I was using my husband’s credit card and he did say he wanted to experience main building and club level (theme park view is non-negotiable because of DS).. I just wont mention it. Ahem

60 days to go​

12pm UK time (which was actually only 2 hours ago).. I was on the app and I booked my fast passes for almost all the dates. I think 3 days I have to do later on. I managed to get,
-Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
-Peter Pan’s Flight (several times DH loves it!)
-Splash Mountain (my fave!!)
-Flight Of Passage
-Na’vi River Journey
-Kali River Rapids
-Kilimanjaro Safaris
-Festival Of The Lion King
And once the good ones were booked I filled the rest of the slot’s with DS’s favourites like Tomorrowland Speedway, Pirates, Jungle Cruise and Test Track.

I feel a bit emotional knowing I will make all of DS's dreams come true. He keeps speaking about the fireworks, Be Our Guest and the rides.. some people may think we are crazy doing such a long trip so close to our last one but really when you think about it.. it's Disney!! It may not be for everyone but it works for us and while others may prefer to spend their money on Maldives and Bahamas I genuinely think the feeling you get in WDW can't be beaten. It's a complete trip but you get so much more than sun & pool. The rides, the people, the food.. I can't wait!!!

 

[SCSteve]

Looking forward to reading about your trip. Please include details about the club level. Your plans look fantastic. Please tell DH that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel, in fact there is more of a chance of something going wrong on the way to the airport than on the plane .....err...maybe don't tell him that last part

 

[ToffPrincess]

Looking forward to reading about your trip. Please include details about the club level. Your plans look fantastic. Please tell DH that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel, in fact there is more of a chance of something going wrong on the way to the airport than on the plane .....err...maybe don't tell him that last part

Hahah you know what I will tell that to him.. maybe just maybe it will calm him down. I found some statistics online like 'there is more chance to be kicked to death by a donkey' which I shall save for any panic attack moments!

 

[ToffPrincess]

FAST PASS+​

So whilst browsing the forums here and on the DIBB (after all I am a Brit) I came across information that people staying club level could buy an additional set of fast passes per day. Then it was mentioned on a YouTube video I was watching and I had to investigate further. My initial reaction was one of total disgust. As if Disney isn't expensive enough as it is. I feel like they are isolating the 'normal' family more and more as when you do the math.. average family of 4, $50 p/p p/d x3 min you are starting at an extra $600. Yes it pales to the $80-120 Universal queue hopper tickets but still.. NOT NICE. NOT FAIR and if they cut number to the park, everyone could enjoy more rides no fast passes needed.. but that's a conversation for another day.

I have touched upon the fact DH is leaving DS and I alone for a few days due to a business trip so I decided to call and see what information I could find regarding this. It is horrifically expensive but when you have small children so is queuing in Florida heat for an hour to do a 5 minute ride.

So the rules/term (how I understood them) are-
1. You must buy at least 3 days of extra fast passes.
2. 50 USD per person
3. They don't have to be booked in consecutive days.
4. You need to know what attractions and vague timings you want in order for guest services to help you.
5. Each day you use the service you are entitled to book fireworks viewing.
6. They can't make miracles happen re the must-have rides like Peter Pan's Flight.
7. The same rules apply.. one hour slots that can not over-lap. When your normal fast passes you selected are up you are free to book more but considering this totals 6FPs per day taking 6 hours of FP slots up.. plus lunch and break there really isn't much time for other ones.

And then when I heard the thing about the fireworks (DS is a fireworks freak) that was that.. I knew I was going to be that moron that has to part with $300 for the two of us to have 3 days of extra fast passes.

Will it be worth it.. I will 100% keep you all updated!!

 

[ToffPrincess]

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So after watching one of the DisUnplugged videos where Pete mentioned fitness trackers, like the groupie I am, I went and got this little haul. I'm not really a iwatch or samsungwatch or whatever you call them type of person as I like my metal when it comes to watches.. so I went for the Fitbit. I have heard of them before but didn't know what they are. Now I do.

I am notoriously lazy. I am luckily enough to be skinny & muscly naturally even without a thyroid gland but keeping fit is an area I suck at. I really should know better as I am supposed to do at least of 20min exercise a day since the thyroidectomy according to the dr. I am that type who go through phases of going to the gym every single day for 2 months and then I won't go for a year (but i'll pay the membership just in case.) However one thing is I walk EVERYWHERE. Mostly because I am 31 and can't drive and am scared of UK public transport. Just to clarify not because I'm scared of terror or anything.. I'm a bit OCD about small spaces and the whole idea of being underground.. no thank you! Walking is my thing. I have legs made for walking which is probably why Disney is really my thing.

SO when I finally figure out how to open these boxes (chipped 2 nails and dented the nail scissors what on earth is this box made of?!) I will set them all up and be able to record exactly how much movement I make this trip.

 

[ToffPrincess]

Apologies..thread deleted

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Jumping in! I loved your previous TR.

First, I don't think you were harsh on your husband. At all. I refuse to travel with one of my bestest friends. She is in the latter category too. I love her to bits, but I can't even be near her. She becomes so controlling, rude and down right offensive, I just can't in order to preserve our friendship. Unless one has experienced it, they can never understand it.

I enjoyed Raglan Road at DS, really enjoyed Sanaa at AKL (massive dietary restrictions here), along with Rose and Crown.

 

[ToffPrincess]

Jumping in! I loved your previous TR.

First, I don't think you were harsh on your husband. At all. I refuse to travel with one of my bestest friends. She is in the latter category too. I love her to bits, but I can't even be near her. She becomes so controlling, rude and down right offensive, I just can't in order to preserve our friendship. Unless one has experienced it, they can never understand it.

I enjoyed Raglan Road at DS, really enjoyed Sanaa at AKL (massive dietary restrictions here), along with Rose and Crown.

Thanks gosh someone understands where I am coming from. They literally turn into monsters!! DH always warns people but I feel like that disclaimer needs to be tattooed on his forhead.

I have to look into booking Raglan Road for us. The reviews I came across were great and I love seafood. Their menu seems perfect to me something for everyone. Any particular dishes you like?

I live in the UK so I skip Rose & Crown as thats very much what we have in London but their deserts look so so good! DH was like, we are not flying 10 hours to eat in an English pub when we live next to 3 english pubs and live in England so you can have desert woman! He flat out refused to even have a beer from any of the UK stands during food and wine festival. He is all about ‘the experience’

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Thanks gosh someone understands where I am coming from. They literally turn into monsters!! DH always warns people but I feel like that disclaimer needs to be tattooed on his forhead.

My bff all over. Her mum won’t even travel with her unless she seriously has to.

Their menu seems perfect to me something for everyone. Any particular dishes you like?

The starter bread is amazing. I’ve only ever done their lunch and dinner. Soups aren’t bad, fish and chips are the proper kind, but you can get that anytime. Shepherd’s pie is to DIE for. Amazing. The best dish is the bread and butter pudding.

I live in the UK so I skip Rose & Crown as thats very much what we have in London but their deserts look so so good! DH was like, we are not flying 10 hours to eat in an English pub when we live next to 3 english pubs and live in England so you can have desert woman! He flat out refused to even have a beer from any of the UK stands during food and wine festival. He is all about ‘the experience’

That’s hilarious! I’m a dual citizen between Canada and the UK! I’ll be moving to London in Sept. My parents are British and agree with your DH but said it’s the closest hing to cottage pie they’ve had.their desserts are AMAZING.

 

[ToffPrincess]

One Man Down?​

We haven’t even gotten to Orlando and we may be one man down. DH’s Chicago’s business meeting is cancelled pending a bigger series of meetings here in Europe. Will he even make it at all? We don’t know. Potentially he could join us a week at the start and then leave early but he may not come at all if the meetings start a few days into our trip. Either way I will know more later by this weekend.

I feel so bad for DH as he is crushed and DS as he is super sharp for a 3 ½ year old and he will not take it well that Daddy has to work. He is a big Daddy’s boy so I will have to think of a way to make it work for us. I don’t mind it being just us all those days but I know DS he would love some other family company. I am debating bringing along one of our older family members who joined us last trip and just paying whatever it is to get them out there and ticketed up. Most likely my uncle. My uncle is a huge foodie (and drinkie) so I think I can see him and I enjoying Epcot together in the evenings. One issue, DH is a snorer, teeth grinder and talker. I already don't sleep. My Uncle however is WORSE. You can hear him floors away. I mean, he inhales and windows rattle & smash.. he snores that loud. Queen beds is not going to fix sharing a room with that!!

Later today will update on my planning set up.. I decided to go organiser/journal crazy this trip. More so than last trip so photos to come!!

 

[ToffPrincess]

My must have handbag items for travel
​

Medium organizer with a zip- the zip is vital so things like tickets don’t fall out! I like to have a diary of some form in my handbag at all times which can sometimes not be very practical. For travelling I prefer an organizer so I also have space to take notes and so I have somewhere to write down ever changing reservation codes. I like to have it next to the bed in the hotel room so I feel like I have a bit of home with me wherever I am. I love to write down thoughts and highlights of my day.. sort of like a journal. I also like to zip my passport in here so its not loose in my handbag.
Small Wallet & Card Holder-on holidays I tend to prefer smaller bags. Smaller bags = smaller wallets. I am not a fan of loose cash in a bag. The card holder is vital for me as so many things like memberships take card form nowadays and you can fit folded cash in the top section. Also great for universal tickets! I never take both at one time during days out, it's one or the other. As you can see the card wallet is clearly better for a bum bag.. and I do LOVE a bumbag! (Yes I have a new one!)
Mini Notebook- yes that is a super micro notebook you see infront of you. It is the only one I have come across that I can write in with ease and fit in a pocket/bum bag.
NB- I always write my & DS’s name, date of birth, blood type, donor status and emergency contacts on the first page of any diary, journal or notebook.
Add chapstick, hand sanitizer, a mini pack of tissues, DS's iPad & earphones and I am pretty much done for the plane!

In previous posts I have touched on the fact I am an OCD personality. There have been stressful times in my life where it has been pretty life alteringly distructive but as I have grown in years and life-experience, I have learnt to channel that energy into good. I am amazing at organizing but I need to do it MY way. So I usually have to create my own page dividers, note paper, named pages etc I will buy the organizer from one brand and all the interior sections from multiple other brands to created my own perfect travel journal/diary. I personally LOVE packing check lists with tickable boxes and to do lists. I am also a sucker for a good travel itinerary insert.

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I am pretty old school in that I can only write with a fountain pen so I like to have a few spare. A few glitter pens and a ruler for underlining and the occasional doodle and some chunky gel pens for DS. I always need paperclips and stickers. Other important things are the dividers and I always like to have plastic pockets to put loose tickets and cash in. I personally love sticker dots (little adhesive dots) because they come on a flat sheet and are a great way of attaching recipts to pages in such a way you can remove with ease once back home. I love a mature pencil case as you can see. Brands I love- Smythson, Kikki-K & Paperchase.

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I like to keep smaller change in one little folder so I always have tip money to hand. I also split my travel cash into two sections, one section in my organizer one in my wallet so I don’t spend all my money in one go.

So one week before travel I will,
-write the day by day itinerary by hand in the mini notebook
-ditto for the organizer
-add my passport, travel insurance, tickets, printed reservations to my organizer
-pack all my hand held documents/cash/wallets into my bag for the airplane

20 Days To Go​

-Must find/buy travel cutlery for DS as wasn’t a fan of the large forks and knives in most places.
-Must buy better pens/crayons for coloring. What happened to Crayola it used to be so good 100 years ago when I was a child!?
-Must get started with putting things aside for the trip. DH loves to open cosmetics he doesn't realise are for travel.

Good news DH will be able to come but not for the full amount of time. I feel much better knowing DS will have his Daddy for at least a week of magical memories.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I am so glad I’m not alone with the packing, the mini note books etc. I’m 99.9%sure we are connected somehow, right down to creating our own page dividers.

 

[ToffPrincess]

I am so glad I’m not alone with the packing, the mini note books etc. I’m 99.9%sure we are connected somehow, right down to creating our own page dividers.

So glad someone else is like me!! So bummed your travel dates and mine don't meet up. We could have been all weird together and done some sort of craft meet and probably be thrown out of somewhere for aligning the napkins!

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

So glad someone else is like me!! So bummed your travel dates and mine don't meet up. We could have been all weird together and done some sort of craft meet and probably be thrown out of somewhere for aligning the napkins!

You understand! Oh my goodness, that would’ve been amazing. Yes, we totally would’ve been booted out for something like aligning the napkins! However, I’ll be on your side of the world (permanently) 2 days after I come back from WDW.

 

[ToffPrincess]

You understand! Oh my goodness, that would’ve been amazing. Yes, we totally would’ve been booted out for something like aligning the napkins! However, I’ll be on your side of the world (permanently) 2 days after I come back from WDW.

I hope you find yourself and your happiness here. It can be hard with the endless grey however I love this city & country in general and there is so much soul here. You will love! Plus your technically coming home. Its in the blood!!

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I hope you find yourself and your happiness here. It can be hard with the endless grey however I love this city & country in general and there is so much soul here. You will love! Plus your technically coming home. Its in the blood!!

Thank you! I’ve always had a connection to the country and you’re right, technically I am coming home. I’m just so ready. What, aside from the soul, do you love about the city? I’ve got to admit, I renewed my British passport and got the new coloured covered one and it so threw me.

 

[ToffPrincess]

Thank you! I’ve always had a connection to the country and you’re right, technically I am coming home. I’m just so ready. What, aside from the soul, do you love about the city? I’ve got to admit, I renewed my British passport and got the new coloured covered one and it so threw me.

Responding in private message so I can go into detail!!